It’s Science: Heavy Metal Positively Impacts Mental Health of Metalheads
It’s 2019, and somehow, heavy metal is still getting a bad rap, but science says otherwise, and who are we to argue with science?!
Nick Perham, a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Cardiff Metropolitan University, wrote a very interesting article for The Conversation that lays out a number of positive effects heavy metal has on metalheads.
For starters, “long-term” fans of metal “were happier in their youth and better adjusted in middle age compared to their non-fan counterparts.”
Another positive? Metal fans who were in an angry mood and then listened to metal had an increase in “positive emotions” that “suggests that listening to extreme music represents a healthy and functional way of processing anger.”
By far one of the most interesting discoveries was this:
“Finally, heavy metal can promote scientific thinking but alas not just by listening to it. Educators can promote scientific thinking by posing claims such as listening to certain genres of music is associated with violent thinking. By examining the aforementioned accusations of violence and offense – which involved world-famous artists like Cradle of Filth, Ozzy Osbourne, and Marilyn Manson – students can engage in scientific thinking, exploring logical fallacies, research design issues, and thinking biases.”
One finding that could be deemed negative, but not surprising, is that metalheads have “a negative attitude towards institutional authority.” Well, when someone unjustly blames the music that you love for being the cause of various traumatic events, how did you think we’d feel about that?
Nevermind those haters. Go crank the new Slipknot! That’ll make you feel better.
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